Iberoscia zaragozai sp. nov.

Figs 12, 13, 14, 15 C

“ Anaphiloscia iberica ”, Cruz 1990 (unpublished thesis); Iberfauna 2008; nomen nudum.

Type material.

Holotype. Spain – Murcia • ♂; Cueva del Puerto (Calasparra); 16. 09. 1979; leg. José Antonio Zaragoza; CRBA 85205. Paratypes: • 1 ♀; same data as for the Holotype; CRBA 85204 • 2 ♂♂; same locality as for the Holotype; 11. 03. 1979; leg. José Antonio Zaragoza; CRBA 85206 • 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same locality as for the Holotype; 16. 09. 1979; leg. José Antonio Zaragoza; CRBA 85207, CRBA 85208 • – Tarragona • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Cova d’en Merla (Roda de Berà); 27. 02. 1966; leg. Oleguer Escolà; CRBA 85213, CRBA 85214 • 3 ♂♂, 10 ♀; same locality as for the preceding; 30. 04. 2023; leg. Adrià Miralles-Núñez; CLLG 1197. Additional material: – Murcia • 3 ♀♀; same locality as for the Holotype; 8. 04. 1977; leg. J. M. Crespo; CRBA 85209 • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Sima del Yeso (Jumilla); 26. 10. 1986; leg. Alberto Sendra and José Antonio Zaragoza; CRBA 85210, CRBA 85211, CRBA 85212 • – Valencia • 4 ♀♀; Avenc de la Clapisa (Serra); 1. 04. 2018; leg. Alberto Sendra; CLLG • 2 ♂♂; 4 ♀♀; Cova del tio Melxor (Albaida); 31. 05. 1976; leg. Jordi Comas; CRBA 85216, CRBA 85217 • – Castelló • 3 ♀♀; Avenc de Serenge (Cabanes); 4. 01. 1970; leg. Ribes; CRBA 85220 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Avenc de Serenge (Cabanes); 14. 03. 1982; leg. Jordi Comas; CRBA 85218, CRBA 85219 • 1 ♂; Cova de les Meravelles (l'Alcora); 19. 05. 1975; leg. Jordi Comas; CRBA 85222 • – Tarragona • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Cova de les Meravelles (Benifallet); 08.1990; leg. I. González; CRBA 85221 • – Barcelona • 1 ♂; Avenc Montserrat (Esparreguera, El Baix Llobregat); 25. 01. 1970; leg. Oleguer Escolà; CRBA 85215.

Description.

Maximum length observed: male: 3.4 mm; female: 4 mm. Body outline as in Fig. 12 A, without traces of pigment in the preserved specimens (see habitus of live specimens in Fig. 15 C). Dorsum covered with numerous cup-shaped scale-setae, irregularly arranged on cephalon and first pereon-tergite, forming paramedian and posterior transverse rows on pereonites 2–7 and a single median row on pleon-tergites and pleotelson (Fig. 12 A, B, E). Noduli laterales (Fig. 12 C, D) approximately three times longer than scale-setae, all situated near the posterior margin of pereon-tergites. Cephalon (Fig. 12 E) with frontal line, slightly bent medially, and curved suprantennal line, both delimiting a narrow profrons; eyes absent. Pereon-tergites 1–4 with straight posterior margins and rounded posterior corners; pereon-tergites 5–7 with progressively concave posterior margin and acute posterior corners; posterior tips of pereon epimera 7 reaching half the length of the third pleon-tergite. Pleon distinctly narrower than pereon; pleon epimera 3–5 not visible in dorsal view. Pleotelson (Fig. 12 H) semi-circular with sinuous posterior margin, about 3.5 times wider than long. Uropods (Fig. 12 H, I) with endopod and exopod inserted almost at the same level; exopod about three times longer than endopod. First antenna (Fig. 12 F) three-jointed; last article bearing 2 distal maraca-like aesthetascs, each with three spherical terminations; second article shorter than first and third. Second antenna (Fig. 12 G) with flagellum three-jointed, slightly longer than the fifth peduncular article; third flagellar article longest, slightly longer than the sum of the first and second ones, bearing a row of three long aesthetascs; fifth peduncular article swollen, both in male and female. Mandibles with dichotomized molar process; left mandible (Fig. 13 A) with two setae on molar process, 2 + 1 free penicils and a row of scales; right mandible (Fig. 13 B) with two setae and a small spine on molar process and 1 + 1 free penicils. Maxillule (Fig. 13 C), outer branch with 4 + 6 (4 pectinate) teeth; inner branch without posterior tip and two long, finely setose, penicils, each with one apical thickened seta; some setae on posterior corner. Maxilla (Fig. 13 D) with lobes of subequal width; inner lobe with some scarce basal verruca-like structures, about 6 sensilla at apex and 2 thickened setae on medial margin; outer lobe finely setose. Maxilliped (Fig. 13 E): endite with knob-like penicil on inner corner and transverse row of long setae on frontal face; palp with short distal setae. Pereopods dactyli (Fig. 13 H) with inner claw simple and enlarged, claw-like, ungual seta. Pleopods without respiratory structures, as in Fig. 14 B – F.

Male: Pereopod 1 (Fig. 13 F, G) without sexual modifications. Pereopod 7 (Fig. 14 A) without sexual modifications. Pleopod 1 (Fig. 14 B) exopod almost semicircular, slightly wider than long without setae or spines; endopod with bent distal end bearing a row of fine spines. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 14 C), exopod triangular, with straight lateral margins and rounded tip; outer margin with setae on distal half; endopod flagelliform, about 1.4 times longer than exopod. Pleopods 3–5 as in Fig. 14 D – F. Genital papilla (Fig. 14 G) distally bifurcate.

Etymology.

Named after the Spanish arachnologist Juan Antonio Zaragoza-Miralles (1953–2022), as a posthumous recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the Iberian cave fauna of pseudoscorpions and other invertebrates.

Remarks.

As a species belonging to a monotypic genus, see genus remarks.

Nomenclatural remark.

This species was preliminarily described in an unpublished Ph. D. thesis (Cruz 1990), under the name “ Anaphiloscia iberica ”. Although there is no subsequent formal description of the species, this binomen has appeared in several checklists, datasets and technical documents online or in print (see, for example, Iberfauna 2008). Therefore, since neither the aforementioned thesis nor any of these publications fulfils the requirements of Article 13 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (for publications after 1960), “ Anaphiloscia iberica ” must be regarded as a nomen nudum.